Bridge-gate



(No Model.)

A. J. SMITH.

BRIDGE GATE.

No. 484,470. Patented Oct. 18, 18922 UNITED STATES AUSTIN J. SMITH, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

COAL CITY, ILLINOIS.

BRIDGE-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,470, dated October18, 1892.

Application filed June 18, 1892.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUSTIN J. SMITH, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Coal City, in the county of Grundy and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBridge-Gates, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference thereon, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure1 is a plan of a section of a swingbridge and of a section of oneof itsapproaches, showing two roadways and two sidewalks, and bridge-gates forclosing the roadways and sidewalks to travel and the mechanism forautomatically operating said sidewalk-gates. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe central truss and of the roadway-gates and of the mechanism foroperating said gates, taken on line 1 of Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the couplingsfor operating the roadway-gates. Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sectionsof said couplings detached from each other. Fig. 6 is a perspective viewof one of the cams for operating the sidewalkgates. Fig. 7 is aside viewof the mechanism for operating the sidewalk-gates.

This invention relates to certain improvements in bridge-gates for useon swing-bridges intended to be opened and closed to travel as thebridge is turned in either direction, and relates more particularly tothe mechanism for operating said gates.

Referring to the drawings, an end section of a swing-bridge B B isshown, having two roadways and two sidewalks B B, and also a section ofan approach is shown, having corresponding roadways and sidewalks A andA. The object sought is to furnish means for closing the gates acrossthe approaches, so as to intercept travel when the bridge is turned awayfrom its approaches, and also to initially close a roadway-gate at eachend of the bridge to intercept travel toward the bridge and leave open asidewalk and roadway gate, at each end of the bridge until those on thebridge can pass oif the bridge, and when all are off the bridge thenclose all the gates while the bridge is away from its approaches,

Serial bio/437,124. (No model.)

orclose them all immediatelybefore the bridge has moved away from itsapproaches.

G G is a pair of swinging gates stepped by means of their posts P insuitable boxes in the approach and one on either side of the centraltruss or stringer K of the roadway andjournaled atthe top in a suitableframe N. These gates are provided with crank-arms C 0, connected,respectively, to the inner ends of the coupling-rods D D, having ontheir opposite ends the conical heads F and secured in place'by suitableboxes 2', in which said rods may reciprocate, as shown in Fig. 1.

D D is a pair of coupling-rods located on the bridge and in line,respectively, with couplingrods D and one above the other, so that theircoupling ends will not interfere with each other as the bridge swings.Said couplingrods are provided on their outer ends with integral headsE, respectively having a transverse eye or opening wider at each endthan in its central part and having a horizontal slot in their outersides, as shown in Fig. 2, for receiving the coupling-rods D and theirheads F. The opposite ends of said couplingrods D are connected tohand-levers S, having their lower ends pivotally connected with thebridge, by means of which hand-levers said coupling-rods may bereciprocated to turn the gates G in either direction. It is intendedthat the eye in the head E shall correspond in diameter with the conicalhead F, so that when the two are coupled together they will closely fitand prevent lost motion when the two bars are reciprocated in eitherdirection, and it is intended that the eye in head E shall be located sothat the conicalhead F may enter it from either direction when thebridge is turned and so said conical heads will rest in said eyes whenthe bridge is open to travel, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that thegates G G may be operated by means of such coupling while the bridge isopen to travel and to close them before the bridge swings away anduncouples said rods. It is intended that these roadway-gates G G areonly to be operated by the bridge-tender and not by the bridge itself.

G G is a pair of similar gates intended to close the sidewalks totravel. Their posts P so that as the bridge movesin either direc-w tionfrom that shown in Fig. 1 it will automatically draw the rods D towardthe bridge and turn the gates G across the sidewalks;

as shown in the broken lines, and when the said rods D are so drawnforward the latch L will fall down behind thebox B as shown in Fig. 7,and lock said rods and gates,- so that they cannot be turned until thebridge returns, when said latch will be engaged by the said cam andelevate its outer end to disengage it from said box and permit the gateto be opened, as shown in Fig. 1.

The gates G are each provided with the curved arms or hooks H for'hooking into or through the. outer ends of the gates G G when they areturned across the roadways, as shown in the broken. lines.

It is intended to first turn the'gates G tothe;

position shown in the .broken lines, and then when the bridge turns andturns the'gates G G across the sidewalks the hooked arms H willturnaround through the. gates G G and" hold them locked while thebridge. is turned away from its approaches, so thatwhen the bridge isturned away from its approaches all the gates will be locked acrosstheir respect: ive ways and cannot be unlocked until the bridge returns.

In operation, looking at Figs. 1 and 2, the

' bridge is shown as open to travel and th'egates all turned parallelwith theroadway. In'case it is desired to turn the bridge and turn thegates to be across the roadways and sidewalks to intercept travel whilethe bridge is turned the bridge-tender will first take hold'of a lever Sand draw the coupling-rods D D, so as to turn a gate G across anapproaching roadway, one at either end of the. bridge, so as tointercept travel toward or ontolthe bridge, leaving the other two gatesG open until the bridge is clear, supposing that travel is in oppositedirections and that the travel is always in the same direction on thesame roadway or sidewalk. After the bridge. is clear he then takes holdof theother lever S and draws the said coupling-rods connected with itand closes the other gate G. The bridge is then turned, and as it movesit will automatically turn the gates G across the sidewalks, and theywill be locked closed by means of the latch L, as stated, and the gatesG Gwill be locked closed by means of the hooked arms H, as stated, sothat all the gateswill be simultaneously locked closed and remain sountil the return of thebridge to automatically unlock gates G and turnthem back to their first position and release gates .G, so that they maybe turned back to their first position by the bridge-tender. When theheads E and F separate from each otheras the bridge swings away, theyremain in the same position with respect to each other, so that when thebridge returns-they will couple with each other and Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is as follows, to wit:

1. In a swing-bridge. gate, thGCOIHblDELtIOD, withthe bridge anditsapproach, of thecoupling bars or rods D, having theheads E, providedwithtransverse eyes having their ends flared to be of greater diameterthanin their part bet-ween their ends and having a transverse slotopening into said eye arranged-0n the plane of said rods, thecoupling-bars D", having the conical heads]? for entering said eyes; thegates 1G I, and the meansfor reciprocating'said rods and forturning saidgates, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Ina bridge-gate, the? combination of the coupling-rods D D, having,respectively,-the head E,provided with a transverse-eye and theconicalheadl and adapted to be detachably connected with each other as thebridge. opens and closes, substantial-1y asand for the purpose setforth;

3. In a bridge-gate, a reciprocatingcoupling-rod located on thebridge-approach, having an integral head on its outer vend, arranged ina horizontal'positiontransversely to said rod, and having itslaterally-extending sides conical or pointed inform for adapting ittoenter an eye on the outer'end of a cor-' responding reciprocating rod onthe bridge, a gate mounted on said approach and adapted to be turned bysaid rod as it is reciprocated, a reciprocating coupling-rod'located ontheswing-bridge in line with the coupling-rod on the approach andhavinga transversely arranged integral head on its outer end, pro videdwith a transverseeyeand a transverse slot leading to said eye, said eyebeing funnel-shaped at'each end for adapting it to receive said conicalhead and for detachably connecting said, rods asthe bridgeis moved rod Dhaving the friction-roller 0, and the latch L, cam L, and box B forlocking gate 10 G, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

AUSTIN J. SMITH.

Witnesses:

THOS. H. HUTCHINS, HERMAN SMITH.

